Feature: 30 Days Of Cabaret Gratitude - Day Three: The Basherts

Julie Benko and Jason Yeager - The Basherts

This has been quite a year for Julie Benko, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down anytime soon. The actress has been part of one of the most talked-about stories of the year, the ongoing evolution of the Broadway revival of FUNNY GIRL, in which she showed the world the Power Of The Understudy. As COVID and casting difficulties left the show badly in need of a leading lady (and every other role in the play) Julie Benko became the Wonder Woman keeping the play on two legs, all the while using her social media to send out messages of positivity and optimism, particularly praising the other swings, stand-bys, and understudies of Funny Girl, nicknaming them WonderStudies.

In the middle of all of this activity and public scrutiny, Julie and her husband, Jason Yeager, released an album and had their duo show debut at the prestigious Birdland Jazz Club. With Jason at the helm, the two musical marvels created their album HAND IN HAND while still in quarantine, providing all of the instrumental accompaniment for Jason's inventive arrangements tailor-made for his Julie's ample abilities. Their pandemic project was picked up by Club44 Records and their Birdland show played to a standing-room-only crowd, as the new Steve and Eydie firmly took their place among the artists of the cabaret and concert community. Except that Steve and Eydie stood side by side and sang. Jason and Julie work the stage as a pair of partners, connected from across the room, as he lifts her up from the piano with his Maestro magic, and as she shows him off from the microphone with her singer's skills. Their relationship and their artistry weave together in ways prominent and palpable that many duo acts strive to achieve but that take a special kinship, a particular bond, an unique quality that was meant to be. This pairing was predestined. It was meant to be. It was bashert.

Read the Broadway World Cabaret review of the album Hand In Hand HERE.

Julie's online presence is as follows:

Website: Click HERE.

Instagram: Click HERE.

TikTok: Click HERE.

Twitter: Click HERE.

YouTube: Click HERE.

Julie's pronouns are She/Her.

Julie's future projects include:

Catch Julie every Thursday night as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on Broadway (slight changes to holiday schedule; visit her website to learn more).

Catch Jason and Julie together at:

54 Below, Nov 7 and Dec 4th - Ticket link HERE.

Hand in Hand at the Fairmont San Francisco, Sunday April 16 - Ticket link HERE.

Jason's online presence is as follows:

Website: Click HERE.

Instagram: Click HERE.

Facebook: Click HERE.

Twitter: Click HERE.

TikTok: Click HERE.

YouTube: Click HERE.

Jason's pronouns are He/Him.

Jason's future projects include:

November 5th 7:30 pm at Le Cheile, Washington Heights Jazz Festival: Jason Yeager Septet Premiere of "Upper Mannahatta Musical Suite", tickets at THIS link.

November 11th release on Sunnyside Records of Jason Yeager's Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite. Preorder the album at THIS link!

November 11th at 6 pm at Kurt Vonnegut Museum and Library, Indianapolis: live performance celebrating the release of Unstuck in Time: the Kurt Vonnegut Suite

December 9th at 8 pm at Soapbox Gallery, Brooklyn, NY: Brooklyn Album Release celebration for Unstuck in Time: The Kurt Vonnegut Suite

Photos by Stephen Mosher; visit the Stephen Mosher website HERE.

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